2023: Publishers over $1M IAP or 1M Downloads

In the U.S.,out of 5,236 Android publishers,only 89 made $1M+ in IAP revenue,but 239 hit 1M+ downloads.For iOS:Out of 2,695 U.S.-based publishers,146 made $1M+ in IAP revenue,and 118 hit 1M+ downloads.***Takeaways:↳ Hong Kong publishers have the highest success rates on both platforms. (In-Game Spending Know-How Center ⭐️)↳ On Android, hitting 1M downloads is easier than making $1M in IAP.↳ Turkey and Spain have the lowest $1M+ IAP success rates on both platforms... (🆘)***Why are Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong so successful?My thoughts:1) The U.S. is the biggest gaming market,↳ and it’s easy for global developers to enter. But East is the 2nd biggest, and it's tough to crack. Companies born there have a better shot because they know the culture.2) Great Execution > Everything:↳ I feel like West devs aren’t as passionate about game-making as East devs. It’s not just […]

Yagiz Gur September 2

Journal

Reasons to Sell Your Game

When does it make sense to sell your mobile game, and when doesn't it? ✅ You're eager to start a new project, but your current game requires too much ongoing attention.✅ You need capital for future projects but want to avoid the complexities of raising funds from VCs.✅ You've maxed out your capacity and resources to scale the game further.❌ You're feeling pressure from your personal life or conflicts with partners.❌ Your game has been neglected, with a shrinking user base and declining profits.

Peter Fodor September 2

Journal

Casual Games Analysis

Start your week by looking at these 5 key takeaways from top-grossing mobile games in 2024. I made this ‘’custom’’ chart for you.What do we have here?1. Midcore vs Casual Revenue✑ While it looks like Midcore is dominating, in reality,With Ad-Revenue added, it's safe to sayRevenues are much closer to each other.2. Top 25 All Games✑ Shows these games are revenue definers.Just look at the percentage alignment!3. Release Dates✑ Shows the strength of Live Ops, if done right.Also, many new games can start making money,Right after they release.4. Casino vs Puzzle✑ Due to Ad Revenue, Puzzle has more advantageIn terms of monetization if the right channels are used.And Level-based games get better retention rates!5. Top Grossing Casual Games✑ 23 games made $100M already!Just with in-app purchases, what are they?Well, mostly Casino and Puzzle.

Gökhan Üzmez September 2

Journal

After investing in startups: How I help founders

After investing in a startup, here's how I help founders: - Do business development work (find clients, help close deals)- Share feedback (product, strategy, plans, big decisions, etc.)- Encourage the founder to respond proactively to challenges (stalemate, short runway)- React to investor updates, requests, emails, etc.- Proactively share market intel- Help with raising the next round (plan the raise, help with pitch deck, share my VC Rolodex)- Find people who are better positioned to assist with any of the above than I am- Finally, host a founder hotline, picking up the phone when it rings

Joakim Achren September 2

Journal

Gun & Dungeons Innovative Reward Boost

'Gun & Dungeons' by Topebox takes an inventive approach to rewarding players post-level completion by offering up to a 2000% reward boost using in-game currency. This clever method not only enhances the perceived value of gems but also encourages players to invest more in gem packs.Here’s how they do it:💰 Players are presented with multiple options: double the reward by watching a video ad or boost rewards significantly by spending gems, with a max boost of 2000%.🔝 This method not only maximizes reward satisfaction but also subtly drives players toward in-app purchases, making gems a valuable and desirable currency.💎 The design makes it clear that investing in gems can yield massive rewards, creating a win-win scenario for both the player and the developer.This feature is a prime example of how to balance monetization with player satisfaction, turning a common practice […]

Michael Kopelovich September 2

Journal

The Games Fund to Champion Women Gamers

The Games Fund wants to create a more inclusive ecosystem for women gamers. Gaming, once considered merely a children's activity, has now grown into a dominant force in the global entertainment industry. This shift from a niche interest to a major player has changed perceptions and unlocked vast investment potential, particularly in emerging markets. On a global scale, the gaming market is forecasted to reach $282.3 billion this year and expand to $363.2 billion by 2027, with an audience of 1.472 million users. In the MENA region, the gaming industry is estimated to be worth $6.34 billion in 2024, projected to grow to $10.69 billion by 2029, representing an 11.02% increase. This growth is primarily fueled by greater access to technology, a youthful population, rising disposable incomes, and the availability of high-speed mobile internet and gaming hardware. As a result, […]

Ilia Eremeev September 2

Journal

Climbing the Charts: “Train Miner” by Azur

RISING IN THE CHARTS ”TRAIN MINER” BY AZUR In this first wave of Hybridcasual, publishers are focusing on sub-genres. 🔎Idle Arcades (SayGames, Homa, Supercent), Puzzles (Rollic and Voodoo), Runnes (Rollic), Shooters (Homa and Voodoo), Strategy (SayGames and Homa), Life Simulators (Supersonic). And others.However, the giant Azur Games is taking a different path, focusing on games with high polish and depth. 👩‍🎨But with gameplay similar to Hypercasual.This is the case with “Smile Castle”, “SWAT Shooter Police Action FPS”, and “Bunker Wars”.It's no coincidence that they've been referring to their games not as Hybridcasual, but as Hybridcore.In recent weeks, we've seen “Train Miner: Idle Railway Game” blow up to the top of the charts. 📈Developed by FLEXUS, “Train Miner” uses classical tap-and-hold mechanics (e.g. “Helix Jump”), but with Clicker elements and a level system similar to Idle Arcade.This mix has created an […]

Carlos Pereira September 2

Journal

Time Blast: Will it revive the Rest of the Genre?

It is no secret that puzzle games dominate a significant share of the mobile gaming market. Over the last decade, the puzzle market has become fiercely competitive, with various subgenres vying to capture the attention of puzzle players. While Match-3 remains the dominant force in this competition, we've seen other subgenres like Merge taking the second place, while others, like Tile Match, showed potential but ultimately fell short. Merge surpassed Blast last year and looks like “Pair” which mainly has Physical Match and Tile Match will do the same at the end of this year. That said, the second spot in the puzzle market remained largely uncontested until recently. Before Merge games took over the second spot, Blast games were the Pepsi to Match-3's Coca-Cola. There was a significant gap between Match-3 and Blast, with Blast holding a solid second […]

Ahmetcan Demirel September 2

Journal

Dynamics Of Gaming Deals

We partnered with my favorite analytical platform, InvestGame, to analyze the trends in video game investments over the past five years and created an internal presentation for The Games Fund. I decided to share this report with the community and held a seminar earlier this year in Belgrade, Serbia. Now, I’m excited to present this updated and enhanced analysis to you, which I believe will be useful for gaming company founders and investors to reflect on investment dynamics and their underlying causes.The key takeaway is that the real challenge lies not in securing the initial round of funding but in achieving full funding and successfully delivering the product. While competition for promising early-stage startups remains intense, many struggle to secure follow-on rounds. Early-stage investors are a part of the ecosystem and should work in sync with larger partners. Saying so, […]

Ilia Eremeev September 2

Journal

Mobile Gaming Investment Challenges

Before diving into this week’s piece, I wanted to ask if you know anyone considering starting a startup. If so, please encourage them to contact me on LinkedIn or submit a pitch through our website. We’re eager to connect with gaming and consumer startup founders. 🫶 Here’s this week’s piece. I recently saw a LinkedIn post from Miska Katkoff, in which he shared an insightful timeline chart by Eric Kress. The chart, copied and pasted below, details the mobile games industry's YOY growth in the past ten years, highlighting revenue trends and the significant impact of Apple’s IDFA changes. This, combined with a conversation I had with a US entrepreneur about VC investments in mobile gaming, inspired me to share my perspective on why mobile gaming has become a challenging space for investors. Let's discuss why mobile gaming studios have […]

Joakim Achren September 2

Journal

Breakdown of the State of Gaming Report

It's Time, Let me break down the new AppsFlyer’s state of Gaming app marketing report for y'all: 💸 App developers spent $12.2B on user acquisition in the U.S., which is ~40% of the $29B in global ad spend.💎 Tired of match 3-games? I guess most aren’t. Match games DOMINATE mobile - $8.65B in ad spend. Trailing behind - strategy ($4.57B), RPG ($3.84B), Casino ($2.72B) and Simulation ($2.03B)🍏 In 2023, CPI cost fell 17% on iOS and rose 48% on Android. If you’re promoting your iOS game, things just got interesting.🥇 Hybrid is WINNING - mid-cores are incorporating IAA to make up for the loss of IAP. Hypercasual. Hypercasual is turning from IAA into IAP because of ATT.Result: 43% of games used a hybrid monetization model - up from 36% in 2023.🛒 In-App Purchases - 5% will use IAP. But from […]

Adam Smart September 2